Outlet box



OUTLET BOX Filed Aug. 8, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l J. .MANGIN OUTLET .BOX

March 3, $931 Filed Aug. 8, 1929 2 heets-Sheet 2 i I I Patented Mar. 3, 1931 UNITED STATES ou'rnnr Box Application filed August s, 1929'. Serial No. 384,300.- 7

This invention relates to outlet boxes and is more'particularly concerned with a new and improved form of the outlet box with an adjustable supporting bracket therefor,

whereby it canbe positioned at will Without preliminary measuring, so that it will fall flush with either the plastering or baseboard facing of a wall partition.

An object of the invention is to provide a new form of outlet box provided witha new form of support, which is an improvement over the type of support disclosed in my 00- p pending application, Serial No. 308,194, filed September 25th, 1928, issued as Patent No. 1,774,934.

Another object is to devise a new form of support whereby the outlet box can, at Wlll and without preliminary measurement, be placed either flush with the plastering, or

with the baseboard facing of a wall partition.

A further object is to provide a structure for supporting an outlet box which can be secured at will to the floor boards or the studding, and which is adjustable in these positions, so that the box can be, without prellmrnary measurement, placed flush with elther the plastering or the baseboard.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings in which there is illus- '30 trated a preferred'form of my invention in several difierent operable positions:

Fig. 1 illustrates in perspective an outlet box of my invention, having a depending flange provided with slots.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View ofthe angular supporting bracket of my invention.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a wall partition showing the outlet box when positioned flush with the plastering of the wall.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation showin the outlet box positioned flush with the aseboard, and secured to the flooring.

Fig. 5 shows the outlet box in a vertical position arranged to'receive a switch, and 45 illustrates a supporting bracket as secured to the studding. I

Referring more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, the outlet box which comprises the usual punched sheet bent to form end walls 5 2, 2 and back wall 3, a top wall 1 of the usual construction, and a bottom wall 5 on which is integrally formed a depending flange 5a, bent at right angles and provided with slots 6 which are adapted to be aligned with the slots 8 formed in a flange 7 of an angle plate 15, 5 The other wingof the flange is provided with holes 9 by means of which the bracket is secured to the flooring 19 or studding 20. This wing or flange is also provided with extending tabsll, which are securely integrally therewith by means of niched or weakened ort-ions 12.

The length of the extending tabs from the nichedportions 12-is equal to the thickness of a standard baseboard 16. Adjacent to these tabs are a pair oftangs 10 comprising shortcut strips oft-he flange 7 which arebent downwardly at right/angles to the'flange', and are cut to a point, so that they may readily bite into the flooring 19, thereby providing '70 an additional means of securing the bracket. They are also adapted toabut against'one side of the studding 20 when the outlet box is desired to be positioned flush'with the plaster 17. 1 '15 The extending tabs 11 are adapted to abut against the'rear partition 21 of a wall when it is desired to position the outlet box flush with the baseboard 16 and because of the nichedportions 12 they maybe readily broken ofi when it is desired to position the outlet box flush with the plaster 17 A supporting bracket .15 is adjustably mounted against the depending flange 5a of'the'outlet box and the slots 8 are positioned'in alignment with the slots 6, and the plates are secured together by means of bolts 13. In this instance, slots are used instead of-holes to provide an adjustment of the outlet boxes rela- 1 tive to the supporting bracket 15. j 8 99 In Figure?) is fshown a section of a wall having partitions 21, 21' constructed of the usual plastering: 1'7"v and lathing '18 with an outlet box provided vvith a supporting'bracket of my invention, positioned flush with the plaster 17 of the'wa'll, and the bracket secured to the studding by means ofrscrews lt, the tangs lO abutting against one side; of the studding. The studding20 is usually the standard two by four.

In Fig. 4 is illustrated an outlet box of my invention used as a floor receptacle Where the front side of the box is required to fall flush with the baseboard 16. In this figure, the tabs 11 are not broken off and act as guides in positioning the outlet box against the baseboard l6, and the tabs. abut. against the rear partition 21 of the wall, while the tangs 10 are driven into the flooring 9 and the bracket is additionally secured by means of the screws 14. l

Figure 5 shows an outlet box of my invention employed for the reception of a control switch. Here the supporting bracket 15 is secured to the studding 20, and the outlet box extendsverticallyinstead of horizontally.

It will-be seenfromFig-ures 3 to 5zthat the tangs andthe extendingv tabs 11are.the.elements which determine theposition oftheoutlet box withrespect tothe floor, the rear partitionofthe wall, and the outlet box is caused tofallfiush with either the baseboard 16 or the plastering 17, depending on whether the tabs 11- are left intact or arebroken off. In the-installation of an outlet box of my construction, itis unnecessary to make any preliminary measurements to determine how far the supporting bracket 15 shouldextend into the wall. ,All-that is required to be done is to place the outletbox in the desired position in the wall, leaving the tabs 11 unbroken ifthe-boxis to fall flush with the baseboard 16,- orto break off the tabs if it is desired to position the outlet box flush-with the plaster 17 and lathing .18.

vAs will be readily understood, theinvention issusceptible to other modifications than those shown, and it isintended that .it be limited only'by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. .An outlet box having adepending flange, a supporting member therefor adjustabl y associated withsaidflange and means integral with said supporting member whereby said outlet box may be positioned flush with either theplaster or baseboard of awall without preliminary measurement.

2. An outlet box. having a side wall on. whichthereis a depending fiange,an angular supporting bracket for said boxhavingone wing adjustably associated with saidfi-ange and the endportion of the other wing so constructedthat the bracket may be quickly and positively placedin one of aplurality ofrpositions without preliminary measurements whereby the outlet box is made'to fallflush with either the plasteror baseboard of a wall partition.

. The combination of an outlet box, an angular supporting member therefor,- one wing of said member having means for. adjustably attaching-it to the outlet box, the

otherwing of said-memberhaving a plurality of extending tabs secured.integrallyrthereflange having a plurality of extending tabs secured integrallytherewith by means of weakened portions on said bracket and a plura'lity of tangs adjacent said weakened por- .tions and disposed at right angles to one wing of said bracket whereby said outlet box may be positioned flush with either the plaster or baseboard of a wall. without preliminary measurement.

5. The combination with apair of wall partitions having plastered surfaces and base- 1 board faeings, an outlet box having a depending flange with a plurality of slots therein, an angular supporting bracket also having a plurality of slots in one leg-thereof and'in alignment with the slots ofthe flange, and a plurality of extending tabs having a length equal to the thickness of said baseboard facings secured integrally with the other leg of said bracket by means of weakened portions, a

plurality of tangs adjacent said tabs and baseboard facings, an outlet box onewall of I which is bent at right angles away from said box to form a depending flange having a plurality of slots'therein, an angular supporting bracket also having a plurality of slots in .one leg thereof and in alignment withthe slots of the flange whereby the position of the outlet box maybe adjusted relative tothe supporting bracket, means comprising bolts for securingsaid bracket to said depending flange, a plurality of extending tabs having a length equal to the thickness of the baseboard facings secured integrally by means of weakened POlblOl'lS with the other leg of said bracket, a plurality of tangs adjacent said weakened portions, andbent' downwardly at right angles to the other leg of said bracket, said tabs adapted to abut against therear wall partition in one position of the bracket and adapted to be broken off in another position of .the bracket whereby thefront face of the outlet box may be positioned flush witheither the-baseboard orthe plaster withoutpreliminary measurement.

, JAMES MANGIN. 

